The Miracle Foundation Youth Executive Council (YEC) was formed in 2023 to provide youth-led support of Miracle’s vision of “A Family for Every Child in Our Lifetime.” As an organizing body, Miracle’s Youth Executive Council seeks to encourage high school-aged leaders to have a voice in advocating for vulnerable children and also promotes sustainability of youth-led partnerships with Miracle Foundation.
The initiatives led by the Council include:
- Maintaining Miracle Foundation’s Youth Executive Council social media presence and youth blog to create awareness about Miracle’s work with the youth audience
- Liaising with and guiding youth chapters on campus-specific activities
- Raising funds through centrally organized and campus-specific drives
- Coordinating youth volunteer activities such as the Youth Blogger Program
- Leading outreach efforts to grow youth chapters across Central Texas to promote the sustainability of youth-led initiatives
Some of the benefits of participating in the Council include: gaining valuable leadership skills; a sense of community with like-minded students, community members, and business leaders; boosting your resume and college applications; mentorship; volunteer hours; making a social impact; and most importantly, being an integral advocate for vulnerable children.
Miracle Foundation is currently recruiting Council leaders for the 2023-24 Academic Year. Leadership positions available include:
- Vice President
- Engagement Officer
- Miracle Foundation Club Officer
- Fundraising Officer
- Communications Officer
- Technical Officer
For those interested in applying for leadership roles through the Youth Executive Council, the first-round 2023-24 application is due August 21st at 11:59pm Central Time. Applicants who apply in the first round will be given priority consideration. The second-round application deadline is September 4th at 11:59 CT. All selected candidates will be interviewed.
For questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below or email YouthCouncilDirector@miraclefoundation.org.
Note: Students who participate and meet the requirements can count their volunteer hours toward the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions related to the YEC application and the Council positions.
No, you can be located anywhere in the U.S. Most of the meetings will be online, so all you need is a stable internet connection in order to join. While the YEC is based in Austin, high schoolers all over the country are encouraged to apply.
Yes, applicants can opt to apply for 1-3 Youth Executive Council positions. You submit one application form overall, but the form will provide separate sections for each role you would like to apply to. If selected, you will only fill one position (Ex: you can apply to both the Vice President and Technical Officer, but you will only be selected to fill one of those).
While it is not mandatory to include a resume, it is highly recommended that you do so. We understand that many people may not have a resume made yet, so we have included some resources that you can use to create a resume.
Resume template from McCombs Business School: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/media/mccombs-website/content-assets/documents/programs/mpa/tMPA_Application_Resume_Template.docx
Resume building tips from Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/steps-for-building-a-resume
After your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email that it has been received. After being reviewed by the committee, you will be notified if you have progressed to the interview round. This interview will occur online and be approximately 30 minutes long with a member of the Miracle staff. After the interview, the team will let you know if you have been accepted into a position.
Please look at the current position PDFs to find the individual position roles, as your responsibilities and roles will differ depending on the position you apply for. In the beginning, our main priority is to get the council off the ground and to focus on running smoothly. However, our overall goal is to add a variety of youth opinions and voices regarding Miracle Foundation’s mission. To accomplish this, we’ll be organizing several projects, fundraisers, connecting with school districts, etc.
The workload will be largely dependent on the project that each officer is currently working on, as well as the officer position. However, each member is expected to be able to dedicate around 2-3 hours weekly (including meetings).
Meetings will take place 1-2 times per month on a bi-weekly / monthly basis. We may add or remove meetings depending on the workload and schedule of all the members. Once the Council is chosen, we will reach out to everyone to plan a time that is convenient for the group. If the officer chooses to create a team under them, they will be expected to meet with their team outside of the full-board meeting times.
Yes, whether for high school service hours or volunteering awards such as the Presidential Service Award, we officially approve and record any time you spend volunteering.
No, if you simply would like to volunteer for our cause, individual volunteering or fundraising is always an option, and we appreciate any help you offer! Please feel free to check out the Student Ambassador page for more information about fundraising.
The council mainly focuses on collaboration between youth to accomplish major projects and uphold a more sustainable impact, and if you would still like to get involved as a committee member working under the council leaders, please complete the Volunteer Interest Survey HERE. These roles would be less demanding, but still offer the opportunity to work and make a change.
The UN Rights of the Child
are at the heart of everything we do. We work hand-in-hand with local leaders and families to activate each of these rights so children can reach their full potential.
photo: Beth Jansen
